A native of California's Bay Area, 20-year music veteran Michael Franti has become a citizen of the world through his forward-thinking endeavors. From the intense punk rock of the Beatnigs to the deeply political rap he made with the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Franti's powerful music has always united disparate genres and topics. Now, with his current project Spearhead, Michael Franti is seizing an even larger opportunity to contribute to the greater good, combining music and a multitude of social humanitarian efforts.
Michael Franti and Spearhead released The Sound of Sunshine in September 2010, through Capitol Records and his own Boo Boo Wax label to high praise. The album debuted at #17 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, the highest debut of Franti's long and diverse career, and the title track was #1 on Billboard's AAA charts for eight weeks in a row. Franti and Spearhead's previous release, 2008's All Rebel Rockers, also found success, with the album's single "Say Hey (I Love You)" racking up over 3 million views on YouTube.
Chart and viral success led to touring with U2, Dave Matthews, R.E.M. and Ziggy Marley, among others, and in early 2010, Franti and Spearhead spent three months on John Mayer's Battle Studies Tour. While sharing the stage with such mega-stars on national tours, Franti and Spearhead conscientiously avoided the use of water bottles and ran their tour bus on biodiesel.
Franti's worldview plays a large role in his creative output. I Know I'm Not Alone, an award-winning documentary directed and produced by Franti himself, follows the artist's journey into the war zones of the Middle East as he connected with local communities affected by the conflict, including families, soldiers and musicians.
In 2009 while serving as an international ambassador to CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and working with communities to improve basic health and education and to increase access to clean water and sanitation, Franti visited East Timor. While helping to expand global awareness of the war-torn country, Franti also made sure to connect with the local artists and musicians. In 2000, after witnessing the poverty and lack of shoes in many of the places he traveled across the globe, Franti decided to make fighting poverty a personal mission. He went shoeless for three days in solidarity, and ten years later he continues to only wear flip-flops when boarding a plane or in a restaurant.
In August 2010, Michael took his solidarity a step further, partnering with Nashville-based charity Soles4Souls, which distributes shoes, free of charge, to people in need across the globe. Since 2005, shoes have been distributed in 125 countries, including Haiti, Kenya, Nepal and the United States. Through the charity's "$1 equals 1 pair" program, Franti and Soles4Souls will work together in an effort to collect and sponsor 100,000 pairs of shoes.
Franti has long understood the correlation between the power of music and raising awareness. In 1998, he founded the Power To The Peaceful Foundation as a way to provide funding for local, national and international charities that focus on health, education, youth and environmental causes. The Power To The Peaceful Festival, also created in '98, combines music, the arts, action and yoga, in an effort to educate attendees on issues of social justice, non-violence, cultural co-existence and environmental sustainability.
The festival has proven to be a huge success - 80,000 attendees turned out last September to Golden Gate Park for the two-day event. Furthering that vision, in 2005 Franti created the Harvest Ball, an annual multi-day celebration in Colorado, with fun for all ages. With recognition and success in his efforts ever growing, it is clear that Michael Franti is a valued member of the music world who is truly using his voice for good.
Sustainable Living Roadshow (SLR) is a caravan of educators and entertainers who tour the country in a fleet of renewable fuel vehicles. They set up off-the-grid ecocarnivals designed to empower communities to utilize sustainable living strategies for a healthier planet and lifestyle. Since 2005, SLR has brought their eco-carnival to music festivals (Power To The Peaceful, Harvest Ball, Forecastle Festival, Green Apple Music Festival), conferences, colleges and community gatherings to connect with individuals and communities. For 2011, SLR is developing a West Coast spring tour, a national summer tour of mainstream music festivals, and an East Coast fall tour including college campuses. They are currently booking bands for these tours. SLR also rents sustainable biofuel and solar powered tour busses. And they design and build custom eco-villages for bands to bring on tour.
For more information please check out sustainablelivingroadshow.org
